The Bears Are Fun, Way-Too-Early Mock Draft Notes, Hicks Snubbed Again, and Other Bullets

Do you refer to the games between the Cubs and White Sox as the Crosstown Classic (which was actually a singular exhibition game between the two, but just grew as a thing)? The City Series (a nickname given by the Chicago Tribune)? Or the Crosstown Cup Series (because, you know, #branding)? Why doesn’t anyone call it the Red Line Rivalry? After all, doesn’t consonance make everything sound cooler?

No matter what you call it, it’s back for the next two days at Wrigley Field. In the meantime, let’s talk about the team that brings us all together — BEARS.

  • The Bears shared a full-length video highlighting the team’s recent Monday Funday and it’s everything you’d want it to be:
  • If there was one thing I learned from the Marc Trestman era, it’s that team chemistry and camaraderie are important. The Bears were a mess for those two years under Trestman, mostly because the roster construction simply wasn’t good enough to compete. HOWEVER, an underlying factor in that team’s demise was the constant drama and lack of cohesiveness. It felt like those Bears were pulling away from each other instead of working together, which I imagine would make it hard to win football games.
  • Unlike those Bears teams, this one seems to be jelling together. And I have to think team activities like the ones above help matters. Here’s hoping there are more fun times ahead so we can hang our hat on the idea that the team that plays together wins together.
  • NFL.com’s Adam Rank shares his Bears’ State of the Franchise address, and it’s an encouraging one!
  • Alright, what is it with Akiem Hicks getting snubbed?
  • Seriously, I’d like an answer. Pro Football Focus released a list of its top-50 players entering the 2019 season, which includes a pair of Bears, but also has a notable snub. Akiem Hicks misses the cut by the slimmest of margins, coming in at No. 51 as PFF shared the names of the 10 players who just missed getting in on the top-50 glory. Hicks put up career-best grades as a run-defender (92.9) and pass-rusher (78.0) en route to earning a career-best 91.6 overall grade from PFF. Those numbers should probably have put him among the top-50, but didn’t. We’ll just add this to the growing pile of bulletin board material that could be used to motivate an already hungry group of Bears.
  • And before you even hint at PFF having some sort of anti-Bears bias, at least the site’s list did right by safety Eddie Jackson and Khalil Mack.
  • JJ Stankevitz (NBC Sports) catches up with Taylor Gabriel, the speedy Bears receiver who has a love for the slow-paced game of golf. After reading the piece, I’m wondering why I haven’t picked up golf as a side habit for myself. I can see why people gravitate to this game as they get older.
  • While the NBA Draft is taking center stage in the BN world, it’s never too early to think about the NFL Draft. OK, maybe June is too early to be talking draft … but I guess we can have fun with it. The folks at Draft Wire have come up with a two-round mock, and the Bears have two picks — remember, they get Oakland’s second-round pick next year, too! With the 41st pick, the mock sends Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs to the Bears. Since you can’t go wrong with an Alabama defensive back these days, I’m digging the pick. And with the 56th pick, this particular mock draft has the Bears taking Auburn offensive tackle Prince Tega Wanogho. I’m not sure why the Bears would go with a project tackle in the second round when both of their starters are locked into multi-year deals. But then again, I’m not sure why we’re talking mock drafts in June. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
  • Speaking of draft week…
  • Spice Adams is a Gemini, and suddenly everything makes sense:
  • Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport ranked the top-10 offenses in NFL history. And while no Bears offense makes the cut, it’s still fun to sort through what made these offenses click. I know there is an emphasis on balance, but all of these top-tier offenses had passing games that made everything click.
  • Patio furniture, dog and cat gear, big outdoor power equipment, and more are your Deals of the Day at Amazon today.
  • written by

    Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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